Wurm Online [Dev Diary with some of the lead designers of the game. They talk about the recent 1.1 patch that contained performance improvements, new and shinier graphics, new monsters and fences! They may not put much effort into marketing and hype, but make no mistake: Wurm is a unique MMO in many, many ways. For example, here's a comment I found on Massively that gives you a hint of how much freedom and possibilities you can find in it.] - Massively

This is the only game where I found a cave full of gold, mined for a while, then logged back in to find myself trapped in a caved-in goldmine. I then succeeded in digging myself out and getting lost in a forest where I was devoured by ravenous spiders. This all while people rode horses by standing on top of them. I ended up putting the game down because I didn't have enough time to really enjoy settling down with my shack and garden.

Age of Wushu (NA) [The release date for its first expansion, Legends of Mount Hua, has been pushed back a bit and is now set to August 8. Check the link for all the features that will be debuting with this new expansion, or watch the trailer below.] - Official Website

CCP [Interview with the company's CEO and with their new Product Development lead, Sean Decker. Coming from EA, he created quite the commotion in the EVE community, so I guess they felt the need to clarify some issues, like EVE's business model for example.] - Massively

Sean is to be the head of product development across all of CCP's games, not just the free-to-play titles, but I wouldn't worry about EVE going free to play any time soon. "I don't think [free-to-play] is the be all and end all business model," Sean told me, adding that he understands that the subscription model better fits some games.

Hilmar assured me that the plan for EVE is still the same plan that was discussed at Fanfest and that fans really latched onto. He promised that nobody will be "making any big kneejerk changes to EVE" and that CCP as a company won't forget the lessons it has learned over the past few years. CCP is currently looking at options that let players "customise the game experience" without upsetting game balance. Options like ship paintjobs are still on the table, but Hilmar explained that the focus right now is on more ideas along the same lines as the dual character training option recently released in EVE's Odyssey expansion.

This year's EVE Online Fanfest included the reveal of a brand-new virtual reality dogfighter for the Oculus Rift named EVE-VR, which fans went absolutely nuts over. When asked whether this will be turned into a retail product, Hilmar confirmed that it will be one of the games under Sean's new remit, but he clarified, "Right now there are no specific plans." He added an optimistic note that CCP "took [EVE-VR] to Fanfest and E3 and the world is screaming for it."

Hilmar went on to reveal that CCP's plans to infiltrate the wide world of mobile gaming are well underway. Former EVE producer Jon Lander has taken on the task of managing the company's mobile offerings, and this year will be mostly spent preparing for next year's full-scale app development. The first apps to be released will be "cohort apps to the EVE universe," explained Hilmar, describing them as companion apps to enhance the game experience.

TERA [interview with Patrick Sun about the new Corsairs' Stronghold battleground.] - ZAM

Though the Stronghold is the most eye-catching aspect of the patch, it also lays the groundwork for the Alliance system. What do you think it will bring to the game for players?

The Stronghold patch brings a ton of changes to players, perhaps the biggest set of any patch to date. It contains a lot of class balances players have been asking for as well as some changes to leveling and dungeons. The Alliance system will come into play in an update later this summer, and it’s really going to evolve the political system in an awesome way. Your objectives as a player will change, even if you’re not in a dungeon or battleground. It’ll give you something to fight for and defend at all times, and I think the players will dig it.

Upcoming / Beta

Firefall [Trailer showcasing the newest instance added to the game, Blackwater Anomaly. P.S. The game is FINALLY going into Open Beta on July 9th.]

3. As the appointed „Queen of WildStar PvP“, what do you like most about PvP?

My favorite aspects of PvP:

Getting a friend or group of friends to strategize with you to take down the enemy or change the tide of a battleground.

The adrenaline rushes as I’m playing in a shared zone on the PvP ruleset server: avoiding large crowds, getting jumped, or picking fights.

11. Will players be required to do a little PvP in order to get certain resources needed for special epic gear that can be crafted (e.g. certain ore from a PvP zone)?

There are PvP specific crafting ingredients. Players will find these in loot bags (rewards for public events in the map), vendors, and through salvaging PvP gear.

14. Will the „Holy Trinity“ play a crucial role in 3vs3 matches?

Through all of our arena playtesting, in beta and internally, I have seen many different variations of team makeup. Because you can choose your ability loadout before the match, a team that consisted of a Tank, Healer, and DPS in one match, may be a Healer and 2 DPS on the next. During testing, I’ve seen successful DPS trios, Tank trios, 2 Healer + DPS, 1 Healer + 2 Tank.

Runescape 3 [Release date set for 22 July! Check the link for all the new stuff that this version will bring.] - Official Website

We can also finally reveal the centrepiece content for RuneScape 3: the Battle of Lumbridge. This will be a world event of epic scale where your decisions and actions will forever shape the story of Gielinor. The future of RuneScape is in your hands.

The Aldmeri Dominion was formed when word came down that human supporters of Molag Bal had taken control of Imperial City in Cyrodiil. Queen Ayrenn, the High Elf ruler, built the Aldmeri Dominion with the Wood Elves, who live in the Valenwood just northeast of the Summerset Isles, and the Khajiit, whom she aided during the recent Knahaten Flu outbreak that devastated the Khajiit homeland of Elsweyr.

Videos / Pics

Opinions

What happened to Guild Wars 2 on console?[an interesting speculation article, coupled with quotes from ArenaNet and with the conclusion that GW2 might still have a console future, thanks to the arrival of the next-gen hardware and policies.] - Eurogamer

"Development for console was something that we did experiment with and try and see [if it would work]," lead content designer Mike Zadorojny told me last week.

"But we were always committed to making sure that we were PC platform first. And especially as we move towards this living world strategy where we're trying to release content as fast as we are - trying to do that on a console is extremely difficult."

In other words, the infamous red tape surrounding the consoles' online networks got in the way. ArenaNet wouldn't have the freedom to update and patch its online world at will, and that's what put ArenaNet off. "Yes," nodded Zadorojny.

Gaming as heritage: why I’m teaching my son to use a mouse and keyboard[awesome article describing the experience of a father teaching his left-handed son to shoot stuff in Unreal Tournament, even if I don't really enjoy that it implies the mouse + keyboard pair is of the past.] - Penny Arcade Report

I don’t really care if my kids believe in God, or which god they believe in. I just hope they have some kind of belief system that gives them strength. I don’t really care if they grow up to like men or women, although a selfish part of me hopes they’re straight, just so their path in life is easier than what I’ve seen in my friends who grew up liking the same gender. But at the end of the day I just hope they find someone to love.

Most of what they do is negotiable, but not this. They need to know how to use a mouse and keyboard.

Reflecting on The Secret World's first year[a comprehensive look at the game's first year of life. One of the most under-rated MMOs in my opinion, at least when compared with other recent titles.] - Massively

For all its flaws, the game still struggles with (PvP has always had a tough life in TSW, and there are folks who are rabid in their desire for more endgame), The Secret World has earned its loyal fanbase. Not only does it offer something different with the setting (like the investigation and sabotage missions), but it invites the community to become a part of the world. Just look at the music contest that resulted in player music being incorporated in the game. And remember when Funcom granted rewards to every player when an exploit skewed results of an in-game contest? The development team may be small, but it does seem focused on giving the players a worthwhile experience.

MMO Design

Designing An Awesome Video Game[a small template of must-have features if you want your game to be competitive on todays's gaming scene] - Gamasutra

Good Game Essential Checklist

This list is in order of importance. Each aspect is listed here briefly, and discussed in detail afterward.

1. Responsive Controls Controls have to be close to perfect, if not perfect.

2. Watertight Concept The game has to make sense throughout.

3. Appropriate Learning Curve The game has to challenge players in a way that’s fun throughout.

4. Positive Feedback & Reward Good games are full of positive feedback for the player.

5. Frictionless User Interface The UI has to be streamlined to keep the player engaged.

6. Consistent Audio & Visual Style The audiovisual style of the game should be consistent throughout.

Misc / Off-Topic

Outcast is set to make a comeback! [Truly a game before its time. I remember being absolutely amazed by it when I played it, way back in the stone age of PC games. It's silly to expect the same thing from this potential sequel, but it's definitely a franchise that merits a resurrection.] - RPS

Daily AMA: Got any questions about today's news or MMOs in general? Leave them in the comments. You'll probably get quick and awesome answers from TF's members, but if not, I'll give it my best to give you an answer in tomorrow's article.

Stream Highlight: EG.Jaedong - The BroodWar legend, arguably the best zerg that ever played Starcraft, has started streaming his games on a regular basis. If he doesn't make you dizzy from how quick he controls the screen, then it's definitely a must-watch!